Media - Children of Alcoholics Week 12-18 February 2012

Press Release – for immediate release

 Children of Alcoholics Week 12-18 February 2012

The National Association for Children of Alcoholics (Nacoa) continues to raise awareness of the one million children living with an alcohol-dependent parent by holding its fourth COA Week, next week.

Olly Barkley, Craig Revel Horwood, Calum Best and Elle Macpherson are all supporting this year’s event.

Nacoa wants COA Week to reach even more people in 2012 and is delighted that the charities NSPCC, 4Children, COAP, and Centrepoint will also be highlighting the week.

Media agencies, businesses, charities and the general public are all invited to get in touch to find out how they can get involved or visit www.coaweek.org.uk for more details.

Hilary Henriques, co-founder of the charity, explains: “For many children a Nacoa volunteer will be the first person they tell about a parent’s drinking. The fear of being “taken away” or “betraying” their family means that they keep it a secret. Our work is crucial because as a first point of contact our trained volunteers can help children to make healthy decisions for themselves, regardless of whether their parents continue to drink or not. We would like to invite other charities and organisations to work with us in promoting COA Week so that we can overcome the stigma surrounding this issue and break the cycle of addiction”.

Nacoa Patron, Elle Macpherson states “Without help these children become lost in the system; they grow up feeling un-noticed at best and abused at worst. Nacoa’s work is all about planning for a positive future – helping them to transform their negative beliefs about themselves into an ‘I can do’ attitude”.

“I rang your line last year, when I could not take it any longer and I will never forget the lady who chatted to me for two hours and calmed me down by actually understanding where I was coming from in a way my friends and family never did.” Jane (17)

Further information and quotes from the celebrities are available on request
Nacoa receives over 20,000 calls each year.

Please help to publicise this important week

++ Ends ++

Contact:

Alison Jarvis
Communications
0117 924 8005/ 07958 649641
coaweek@nacoa.org.uk

Editors Notes: *

o Twice as likely to experience difficulties at school
o Three times as likely to develop alcoholism
o Twice as likely to develop drug addiction
o Five times as likely to develop an eating disorder
o Twice as likely to be in trouble with the police
o Three times as likely to consider suicide
o Six times as likely to witness domestic violence

* Source: The National Association for Children of Alcoholics

The following public service announcements give an insight into what it can be like to be the child of an alcoholic. They are available to listen to or download and we welcome them being shared wherever possible.

A one minute glimpse into what it’s like to be the child of an alcoholic. Listen below or click to download Nacoa01

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Sadly reaching adulthood doesn’t make the problem go away so the difficulties of being a child of an alcoholic can continue thoughout life. Listen below or click to download Nacoa02

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

These PSAs are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivatives license. This license allows for redistribution, commercial and non-commercial, as long as it is passed along unchanged and in whole, with credit to us as original creators of the work.